प्राचीन भारत में शिक्षा (डॉ. ए.एस. अल्तेकर - गुरुकुल एवं बौद्ध विहार शिक्षण इतिहास)

I, E] AYURVEDIC UPANAYANA 289
garland, collyrium, turban, umbrella and shoes, the
use of which was taboo to him in the Brahmacharya
period, were now to be formally and officially offered
to him by his teacher with the recitation of proper
Mantras. It was expected that the guardians, who
were well off, would furnish a double set of the
above articles, one for the teacher and the other for
the ward.¹ A Homa followed and the hope was
expressed that the young graduate would get plenty
of students to teach.² The teacher then offered him
Madhuparka,³ an honour reserved for the very select
few like the king, Guru, and son-in-law.
Presentation to the Assembly : Dressed in his
new dress, the student would proceed to the assembly
of the learned men of the locality in a chariot or on
an elephant.⁴ He was there formally introduced as
a competent scholar by his teacher. Returning
home he would bid farewell to his teacher after
paying him such honorarium (gurudakshiṇā) as he
could afford. A critical survey of the Samāvartana
ritual will show how high was the respect in which
scholars who had completed their education were
held by society. One authority asserts that they
were the greatest force in society.⁵
SECTION E.
AYURVEDIC UPANAYANA
Rituals in Useful Education : When we consider

1. Āś. Gr. S. III, 8. 2. Bau. Gr. S., II, 6.
2. Madhuparka denotes an offering of ghee, honey, etc. presented
   by the householder to a respectable guest on his arrival home.
3. Dr. Gr. S., III, 1, 26; Āp. Gr. S. I, 11, 5.
4. Cf. महद्वै एतद् भूतं यः स्नातकः ।
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